…moving to a new state.

This post is long overdue. I have been in the midst of a serious life change for the past 2 months and it has been a complete whirlwind! In November I found out that my boyfriend received an offer to re-locate for a job. This wasn’t completely out of the blue – he had always shared with me that he hoped to return to LA when the right opportunity came along. We just had no idea it would come so soon. I’m moving to a new state!! (I suppose I should say moved…I got here last week).

Despite having the idea of moving in my head for some time…the thought of actually doing it? That it was really, really happening? I would describe the feeling as: exciting, terrifying, overwhelming, thrilling, and confusing. Sounds about right.

But now that I’m here…I’m never leaving. Haha, only kidding. Who knows were the universe will take me..but this state is seriously AWESOME.

I haven’t had the opportunity to explore too much yet since I haven’t even been here for a week. But what I have seen so far has been amazing. I won’t even talk about the weather because it’s basically Summer/Fall all Winter and I LOVE it. Sorry, not sorry.

So stay tuned for some lovely posts about my exploration in sunny Los Angeles, especially some new recipes now that I get to cook with fresh produce all year long! And for those of you who are moving far away from your comfort zone as well? Here are my top 5 survival tips:

1. The logistics of moving away can be complicated. You need movers, transportation, a new place to live, and to get rid of wherever you live currently. It’s overwhelming and no one else around you will understand what you’re going through unless they have done it themselves. Make a list of things you need to do and take it one day at a time. You WILL figure it all out.

2. Accept help. My boyfriend’s mom is the closest thing to a one-woman professional moving service. She helped us out with a lot of the logistical nightmare that we were in and it was absolutely amazing. It’s great to have people around you that can give advice about what company will not drive your car off a cliff in the process of shipping it cross-country. Listen to them.

3. Do your research on your new area/living situation. If you have must-haves for your new place – don’t ignore them. Moving somewhere that doesn’t have the basic essentials of what you need to be happy is going to make your life that much more stressful. If it’s an extra 100 bucks a month to have an apartment with a functioning washer/dryer…then cut back on your shopping sprees, pedicures, and alcohol consumption and fork over the cash. It’s worth it, trust me.

4. Be considerate of your roommates (if you have them) when you leave. You need to find someone to fill the void/your portion of the rent check and you need to make sure they are normal not serial killers. It’s not their job to do this – you’re the one leaving. Figure it out and make sure they are comfortable throughout the process.

5. You’re going to break down at some point. You are leaving your friends, family, and essentially everything you have known your entire life for a place you don’t know much about it (or in my case…somewhere you haven’t even been before!). It’s a lot at once. Let yourself cry and then remember the light at the end of the tunnel is a beautiful new place with a fresh start. Doesn’t hurt that the new place has a rooftop pool that’s open year-round. Not at all.